Published on Jan 26, 2018

Rating:

Genre: NCPA

Dates: April 13-16, 2018

Times: 7:30pm

Venue: Opera House of NCPA

Prices: 100, 280, 380, 550, 600, 680, 880

Features: The NCPA production The Dawns Here Are Quiet will be staged in Opera House from April 13rd-16th 2018, this opera is commissioned by NCPA to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory of the world anti-fascist war.

BRIEF INTRODUCTION

The opera The Dawns Here Are Quiet is commissioned by the National Centre for the Performing Arts to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory of the world anti-fascist war. It is based on the former USSR writer Boris Lvovich Vasilye’s novel with the same title. The novel tells, in a realistic way with a romantic mood, the story of five female soldiers fighting invading German troops in the World War II, and eulogizes their sacrifice and optimism.

NCPA gathers top artists at home to produce an opera singing in Chinese. Composer TANG Jianping focuses on the qualities of traditional European opera, the beauty existing in Russian folk music and the patriotic sentiments exhibited in Soviet Union during WWII while writing the music for the opera. Librettist WAN Fang portrays the characters following the original novel. She poses a stark contrast between beautiful life and painful death and warns people the danger of the war with life destruction. WANG Xiaoying, served as the director in the opera, presents on the stage Mother Nature’s vast landscape, humanity’s beauty and warmth, and war’s brutality in a poetic way.

Dark forests, gloomy swamps, ice-cold helmets and fierce battles intertwined with these young girls' yearning for love and peace, giving the opera an emotional depth and an expressive power. In this special anniversary year for the end of World War, we produce this opera to honor those who gave their lives for their countries. Let us bear the history in mind and cherish the peace.

SYNOPSIS
During World War II, a group of female soldiers in the Soviet Union guard the important railway facilities under the command of Warrant Officer Vaskov. Among them are simple and kind Lisa, brilliant Sonia, visionary Galya, smart and pretty Zhenya, and sophisticated and, capable Rita whose young hearts yearn for the future and happiness.

One day, Rita, on her way back to the garrison from where her son lives, spots two German soldiers in the woods. Having been informed in advance, Vaskov judges that the German soldiers must be attempting to destroy the railway facilities, thus he hastens to intercept the enemy with five female soldiers.

Vaskov and the soldiers go through the woods and marshes, and manage to arrive at a hill before dark, where they wait to ambush the enemy. However, as the quiet dawn breaks, sixteen well-armed German soldiers burst into view in the daylight at the foot of the hill. Because of the unforeseen circumstances, Vaskov has no choice but to send Lisa back to the garrison to request reinforcements. Unfortunately, the messenger Lisa gets stuck in the morass in a hurry and loses her life.

Helplessly, Vaskov and the female soldiers fight a decisive battle against the German soldiers. One after another, the female soldiers resolutely lay down their lives, and finally win the battle.

The sorrowful dawn is still quiet, yet five pretty young souls are sleeping on their beloved land till the end of time...

Tickets for NCPA Opera The Dawns Here Are Quiet are Available now!